• NOW LIVE! Into the Woods--new character species, eerie monsters, and haunting villains to populate the woodlands of your D&D games.

The clock ticks down: Why I am hyped about Numenera

Desh-Rae-Halra

Explorer
Hi Gang,

The Numenera Kickstarter is winding down, and in a tiredness invoked delirium I imagined myself writing a crazy Promo Ad for it. Below is the result:
(You could probably read less and learn more by just going to the damn site).

Numenera: A new roleplaying game from Monte Cook by Monte Cook — Kickstarter

I am in no way associated with Monte Cook or Numenera, I just think this is a great project and will be next year's Object of Desire, like Ptolus was:

Lights, Camera, ACTION!


[Narrator]Hey gamers,
Have you found yourself browsing the net or your local friendly local gaming store only to find that every game you like is getting a new edition while you are still happy with the old one? <Show image of B&B (Barbarians & Battles Axes) 10th Edition>
Do you notice that even the “new” games are just a rehash of a sub-genre that has been beaten to death? Ever wish you could discover that RPG that takes gaming to a whole new level? Well…
[R.Lee Ermey clip/wav file from Full Metal Jacket plays] “ Reveille! Reveille! Reveille!Drop your cocks and grab your socks”
[Narrator]We’ve got a game for you that is going to blow your mind! Its called Numenera
<show phonetic pronunciation on screen with 2nd voice pronouncing it>
[Narrator]Yes, Numenera and its being written by none other than Monte Cook.
[2nd voice] Who?
[Narrator] Monte Cook! Remember back at Gencon in 2007 when people were getting blissful hernias from carrying that big Ptolus book around? Remember how bad-ass that was, and when you played it, you found yourself wishing you had been in that campaign world as Monte was building it?!
Well that kind of opportunity is here right now my friends! You want in on the ground floor of his new science-fantasy game set in the distant future? Well the elevator doors to Nirvana have opened and we’re inviting you in, but they doors wont stay open long!

Get over to Kickstarter right now! YOU are going to get the deal of a lifetime!!

You are going to get the Numenera Core book. 416 pages chock full of gaming goodness! Its got the rules system, GM advice, monsters, NPCs, ideas and adventure material. And that’s all you need. No more having to buy 3 books in order to get the game going, Numenera is all-in-one!

But we are not stopping there. For your $60 pledge, you are going to get a PDF selection that will blow your mind! Not one, not two, but THREE, yes THREE adventures AND a 64 page Players Guide!
Still on the fence?

{Insert clip: R. Lee Ermey/ FMJ “Did your mother have any children that lived?”}

FINE! Need more monsters? Monte will throw that in too. 160 more pages of monsters in the Ninth World Bestiary PDF for FREE! Its got crazy monsters like the Iron Wind: A flying carnivorous cybernetic God-fart that will put terror back into the power-gamer of your group!

YOU WANT MORE?? YOU GOT MORE!!!

Monte will throw in Sir Arthur’s Compendium, another 160 pages of tech goodies that will mesmerize even the most greedy Loot Vacuum player in your party! And for the science nerd in you, it’s stuffed full of physics, quantum mechanics, bioengineering, ITS GOT ALL THE STUFF YOU WANT TO READ ABOUT as it relates to the world of Numenera.

BUT WAIT, THERES MORE! The Monte Cook engine of generosity doesn’t stop there. To make the trifecta of supplements, Monte is throwing in the PDF of the Ninth World Guidebook!!!

So lets recap! For $60 you get
- The 416 page Hardback Core Book in print
- The 64 page Player’s guide (PDF)
- THREE 32 page adventures (PDF)
- The 160 page Bestiary (PDF)
- Sir Arthur’s Compendium, another 160 pages (PDF)
- And the 200 page Ninth World Guidebook PDFs

And as an added bonus, EVERYTHING IS IN FULL COLOR!

Are you not convinced that this is the absolute deal of the century?

{Insert R. Lee Ermey/FMJ clip “What is your major malfunction numbnuts?!!}

On top of all this, you are also going to get the PDFs for the GM Screen, PDFs for 3-D Paper Fold-Up Terrain, and PDF’s of the Cipher, XP, and Creature cards to enhance your game play experience.: That adds up to
- The 120 card Cypher deck, enabling you to create tech on the fly
- 30 XP cards
- The 100 card Creature Deck, like an impromptu monster generator at your fingertips

ALL FOR $60!!!!!

Plus, Monte will throw in an app for iOS, Android, or PC. Why?
Ever want to create a character while you are waiting in a long line, like at the Secretary of State to renew your driver’s license, or at the Post Office, especially around the holidays, or even while taking a dump?
YOU GOT IT! And this app will not only make characters but it has the rule set built in!

Hell, we will even put your name in the back of the Core book

We are nowhere near done yet! Strap yourself in because we have Add-Ons Galore!

Into card games but don’t want to get sucked into another collectible card power-creep money vacuum? Well Monte has teamed up with AEG to bring you:
Thunderstone: Numenera style! {Insert Thunderstone details}

We got T-Shirts, we have a special set of Numenera dice, not to mention that if you want print copies of any of those Full Color PDFs, its just an Add-On Fee to your pledge!

Now remember, shipping is extra if you are outside North America* <Insert disclaimer about Thunderstone having free shipping only in the US>

The Numenera Core Book will be shipping out next summer, and then almost every month you will get a new supplement delivered to you (electronically or shipped, depending on you choice of PDF or Print materials).

So you may be asking yourself “how do I know this will be a great product”?

A. Its Monte f**king Cook. Look at his track record of success and innovation in the gaming industry!
B. But if you are a Doubting Thomas, if he doesn’t pull through (no pressure Monte) and it sucks, you can be guaranteed that an angry internet horde will descend on every forum and berate him mercilessly, his rpg career will be over, and he will end up foaming triple upside-down caramel lattes for a living.

And I realize we didn’t even mention the ART of Numenera. This is Kieran Yanner we are talking about – so you will NOT get a product that looks like it came from a high-school sketch that was colored in with MS Paint or just crayons because the artist was lazy. THIS IS ART YOU WILL WANT TO SHOW YOUR FRIENDS!.

Oh, and Monte is throwing in a Full Color Map of Numenera, illustrated by none other than Christopher West.

You want a Deluxe version of the Core book. We’ve got Deluxe. This book redefines DELUXE with {enter Deluxe product description}

But this is Kickstarter, and time is running out. In fact, you have until just after lunch on Monday to get on board. Don’t miss out! Pledge today!
 
Last edited:

log in or register to remove this ad


There's lots of RPGs out there; even lots of new RPGs.

What's the argument/angle for this one besides "OMG!!!1!!! BECAUZ MONTE COOK!!!1!1"?

I like Monte, but why pick up a new game, learn a new game system, etc, when I could just as easily be picking up a campaign setting for a game I already own and play? The kickstarter lists a lot of *products*, but doesn't tell me enough about what's unique about them to want them.
 

I like Monte, but why pick up a new game, learn a new game system, etc, when I could just as easily be picking up a campaign setting for a game I already own and play? The kickstarter lists a lot of *products*, but doesn't tell me enough about what's unique about them to want them.

Not to negate your request for information; but I, personally, kind of miss the days where my circle of gamers would cycle through 7 or 8 completely different games over the course of a year. Granted, I think that I'm probably the only one in that group who has the time to even attempt something like that anymore, but I have an entire shelf of 1 or 2 book RPGs that I've been dying to crack open for the last decade.

Also remember that Kickstarter is only part discount shopping spree. I'm sure that there are some people who are more interested in investing in an idea that they like, and probably significantly more people who like inflating their own Kickstarter score or getting in on the bragging rights of being a part of something that's going well.

I love the pure-Monte stuff that I've seen (Ptolus and Banewarrens) and am probably going to buy this when it hits the shelves just cause it's his name and I trust it. The only reason why I'm not Kickstartering it is cause I just copy and paste the Kickstarters that I like to people who I know who do spend money there.
 

There's lots of RPGs out there; even lots of new RPGs.

What's the argument/angle for this one besides "OMG!!!1!!! BECAUZ MONTE COOK!!!1!1"?

I like Monte, but why pick up a new game, learn a new game system, etc, when I could just as easily be picking up a campaign setting for a game I already own and play? The kickstarter lists a lot of *products*, but doesn't tell me enough about what's unique about them to want them.

I, personally, am glad the kickstarter is so successful, and now Monte has a good idea of how much his name is worth.

I looked at the premise, which seems to be allowing a grab bag of all kinds of settings from archaic to super-modern, and with the obligatory post-apocalyptic part thrown in for good measure.

But there is really no meat at all on that kickstarter page.

So I passed. The name is not enough for me to invest in a game I will almost definitely never find players for.
 

Olgar,
I think your objection is the precise appeal to me. I tend to be more like Nytemare in that I pick up RPGs that I hope make it into our gaming cycle. I get interested in learning a new system (that claims to be simplified). What I really like is the setting (and I acknowledge that there isnt a whole lot on it so far, though the fiction gives a glimpse).
I guess for me, a person who still buys music CDs, its like if Dream Theater puts out a CD, I am going to buy it. I dont need to hear it first, or hear interviews about it, I'm a fan and they havent disappointed me in the past.
Same with Monte cook. I like his work. If he turns out a dud, I'll be wary the next time.
There's no reason you SHOULD buy it, and if you are happy with your games and just want more of whatever your preference is, thats great.
All I'm saying is that if you like trying the new, $60 for A Hardback core book and nearly 700 pages in PDFs over the following 6 months does not seem like a bad deal.
 

Don't get me wrong -- my objection isn't to a new game, per se. I can certainly understand groups that like variety and switch it up. And I'm a Monte Cook fan; I generally trust his products and once had a significant campaign section built around Banewarrens.

My objection is that there's nothing in the Kickstarter page that explains what's new and novel about this offering as a game. Sure, the basic concept might make a decent campaign setting, but it seems to have a lot in common with other campaign settings. So, without the presentation giving me details of how this product is novel, what's to cause me as an investor back this product?

In comparison, I thought the blog post from Penny Arcade about how Gabe was experimenting with a card-based RPG did a great job of teasing new mechanics as well as a fantasy background. If the PA offering were a Kickstarter, comparing the two I'd be more likely to invest in it on the merits of the presentation.
 
Last edited:

I probably should have mentioned at Montecook.com he has a blog about Numenera that gives some more insight into game mechanics and setting, as well as how some of the playtesting sessions have gone (though they contain SPOILERS for certain adventures. I think that might be where the fiction was hosted.

P.S> Thanks to all who read my wall-of-text!
 



Into the Woods

Remove ads

Top